Of Squirrels, Oaks and Acorns in High Places

It was peaceful up there that day.

Over our heads was a mostly blue sky

with a few white clouds to add interest.

After a bit of a climb

we paused to take in the serenity of the place.

-

Soon--

a friendly couple stopped to visit with us for quite a long time

as we sat on a bench overlooking the beautiful valley below,

and the mountain range beyond.

---

But later we

spied another visitor (or more likely a resident)

who didn't have time to visit--

A very cute visitor/resident

A very athletic one too

Guess he couldn't stop and visit because
he was on a mission--

a food gathering one.
And we, his amused observers wish him much success always,

because even though he didn't stop and visit,

he blessed us anyway!

~

Blessings from the PNW,

Aimee

A Touch of Germany--in America

I knew where I wanted to go on the Sunday of our recent 4 day holiday weekend-

it was a place I remembered well.

A place where I had spent some happy times

with friends and family many years ago...

a place proud of its cultural and religious heritage-

And a place where a little bit of Bavaria lives on,

in the heart of those whose ancestors came from Germany long ago

and

--for awhile--

in the heart of those who come to visit,

including this great-great granddaughter of German immigrants.

It is Mt Angel,

a town

located in the Willamette Valley

of Oregon,

between the coast range and Cascade Mts.

A pretty place

where you will find...

dancing children-

during Oktoberfest

and

always over the water in this fountain!

Unique public art--

like this decorated pole and...

a glockenspiel

(which unfortunately we had just missed)

Here is a closer look at the paintings on the tower though:)

Lots of flowers--
in window boxes

and in beautiful hanging baskets.

There you will also find a beautiful historic church.

A town resident told us that many places,

including this church,

had suffered damage in an earthquake in the early 1990's and had to

undergo a lot of repair work to make it safe to use again.

I am glad that the repair work was successful!

You can see the church from quite a few places in town because it is so tall

and because it was built on a slope above the downtown district.

This is the church from the rear.

-

I do love historic churches

--from the small, simple, pioneer ones--

to those that are large and more ornate.

--

I also love towns and cities

which make an effort to preserve their history!

-

Do you have a favorite historic church?

A favorite town that celebrates its heritage?

Feel free to share...

Blessings,

Aimee

The Word on Wednesday

For those who mourn --

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die…A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance…” Ecclesiastes 3:1, 2a, 4 KJV

-

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me; because the LORD hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted…to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness…”
Isaiah 61: 1a, 2b, 3a KJV

-

“ …for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.” Jeremiah 31:13b KJV

-

“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.”
Matthew 5:4 KJV

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“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away..." Revelations 21: 4 KJV

~

Recently, I was reflecting on how Christ too experienced the loss of a parent during His time on earth. That's right--Jesus' step-father, Joseph, His childhood protector and provider, almost certainly died some time before Christ began His earthly ministry or at the latest, before Christ's crucifixion. And although the Bible does not answer the specifics of Joseph's death-the when, the where, the how-we can be sure that his family would have mourned his loss just as we do today when a loved one passes away.

This knowledge comforts me--

Jesus really does know what my family and others are going through as we say our last goodbyes.

He has stood at the graveside of a good friend and wept.

He has seen--firsthand--the suffering and pain of those around Him.

And, it is clear from the verses above, that while there is still death, pain, sorrow and grief on this earth, that God promises to comfort those who will take His outstretched hand and draw close to Him.

Blessings, Aimee

Notes: My mom is still with us as I write this. She is receiving good hospice care and both my father and sibling are able to spend much time with her. A heartfelt thank you to those who are praying for our family at this time:)
Photo: An angel at a cemetery we passed earlier this year.

Travels in the PNW

Our Labor Day weekend travels brought us to many peaceful places--
to the top of mountains,
into and past woodlands,
past many fields--both empty and those with crops still not harvested,
over and beside rivers and creeks,
to places of PNW history and culture--
then finally,
to a place I knew would speak even more joy, peace and beauty to my soul--
a place also located on a 'mountain' of sorts.
A place where people have gone to for a long time to do the very thing I wished to do
But before we get to that place,
here are some other photos from our 4 day weekend--
hope you enjoy them :)

A small, historic church we passed during our travels

A field being worked-
I love the green contrasted with the gold and blue.
I love a lot about this photo actually-
I have a lot of respect for farmers,
my adopted 'dad' -
my best friend's dad-
was a farmer...
I miss his smile, wit and love of life!

Not too bad of a shot considering it was taken from a moving vehicle!
Not sure I saw the trees and field until I was processing it;
now I like it even more:)
I often find 'surprises' like this!

A view of the beautiful Cascade Mountain range that can be found in
both Washington and Oregon.
I took this photo, though, because I liked the lines formed by the poles --
I love the patterns and lines that are found all around us-
in nature, on buildings and just about everywhere you look!

And the last one for tonight
--maybe--
a beautiful town church as seen from a nearby field.
-
Now this speaks peace to me:)
Blessings from the PNW,
Aimee
-
I want to take a moment
to thank both visitors and those who have been following my blog!
Your presence here is always appreciated,
and my sincere hope
is that you will leave my little place on the web feeling blessed!
Peace always -- A.

And the Trip Down

What goes up,

must come down

(or so the saying goes)

-
And we needed to come down...

since we don't have a cabin up there,

and since it was just a trip and it was time to head home.

-

Despite my making it up

and my immense joy at doing so,

I knew we should try another way down...

so we did.

---

Of course coming down a mountain,

the road involved a lot of beautiful curves and winding roads,

signs like this,

and road grades of about 17% in at least 2 places

-

BUT

it was a lot easier on me then the road up had been

and still very, very pretty

And as I sit here typing...

I'm thinking when will we go back?

Because, despite the fear, I really want to!

-

Blessings on your travels,

Aimee

Finally Did It!

I love mountains--I really, really do!

But there have been a couple places, in the NW mountains, that I have avoided because of past fearful incidents---

As of this weekend, there is one less of those places:)

-

So let's take a trip while I conquer THAT place!

The road up is an interesting one.

Lots and lots of trees.

And you know I love trees!

Lots of curves and...

views like this one.

Lots of clear views like this one...

as you climb higher and higher up the mountainside.

But after what seems like an eternity

(which is actually a lot less when the passenger

- yours truly -

is not asking the driver to travel 10 mph)

you reach the top

the peak

the summit

THE GOAL

(and yes I did consider dropping to my knees and kissing the ground).

But no time for that because now comes the hike--

a short hike

on a seriously steep hillside...

(memo to self: NEVER wear sandals to hike.)

Of course, mountain goat Farmer Boy does not need to worry--

he is sure-footed in all kinds of footwear--

but even he said the hillside was steep:)

However, the short hike in slippery sandals was well worth it for this-

BEAUTIFUL!

By this time I was giving thanks for the trees, I was leaning against-

first because I was still shaking from the drive up

and secondly..

they gave me something to hold onto while I was trying to get some photos of the beautiful vistas.

But I did keep thinking--in between the shaking--

wow am I glad we kept going!

(of course there were few places to turn around at)

But really, I was thankful...

because I love the views from mountains,

the moss laden trees,

plants that are hidden in the forests and

time with my DH--the mt goat.

Speaking of plants--there were many--some with red berries

(sorry but the camera--I mean I--was shaking too much on that photo),

this pretty little flower,

and these.

I really, really wish I had taken a better photo of these--

they were really pretty!

I have no idea what they were though.

My DH wasn't feeling well so he returned to the car-

and I walked a bit more-no longer shaking

in the mostly flat area of the lower part of the park.

There were only 2 other people there so I had the area mostly to myself.

Myself and the tall, tall trees.

And the views.

And the shadows.

And the tall, tall, tall trees.

And then it was over...well except for the drive DOWN!

-

BUT I did it

(and this time I won't wait some 30 odd years more to do it again)!

-

Have you conquered any old fears lately?

Found blessing in a special place?

Blessings from the mountainside,

Aimee

The Word on Wednesday

And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.“
Mark 6:30 NKJV

As we move closer to Labor Day, it is becoming more and more evident that mom will soon cease her earthly labors and go on to her heavenly rest. Every time our home phone rings I dread answering it because it is the line my sibling generally uses to call me and I don't want to hear THOSE words.

Yes, I don't want my mom to suffer and I know that in heaven she will know eternal peace, perfect love and joy, no pain, fellowship with Christ and happy reunions with family and friends long since passed on--but...
-
the thought of life without her always young spirit, her sense of humor, her constant love, her prayers, her smile, her conversations; it is something I am not ready for. I don't think it is an easy thing to say goodbye to someone who has been so much a part of your life, is it?
--
So I am tired--not physically, but definitely emotionally and spiritually. I am in need of a retreat for my soul. I need to heed God's call and come away for awhile--with Him--and rest my heart there, in His presence, under the shadow of His wings and I don't need to, as much as I'd like to, climb the mountains, visit the desert or find refuge in the forests to pray, meditate on His Word or just be silent before Him.
-
Blessings,
Aimee

Note:
“Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”
Photo:
A valley view from the coast range.

The Word on Wednesday

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills,

from whence cometh my help.
My help cometh from the LORD,

which made heaven and earth,
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved:

He that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Behold, He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD is thy keeper:

the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
The sun shall not smite thee by day,

nor the moon by night.
The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil:

He shall preserve thy soul.
The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth,

and even for evermore.
Psalms 121 KJV

-

May the LORD who made heaven and earth fill you with His presence this week.

Blessings,

Aimee

-

Photo: coast range and foothills

Note: this has been my favorite Bible chapter since I was a teenager.

A Mountain Retreat for the Soul

I needed to get up into the mountains of the NW again-

I knew it

To be among the tall trees of the forests

and the ferns and wildflowers there

To breathe in the peace that is found on the mountainside,

in a world far away from the noises of daily life

To listen, instead, to the restful sounds of nature

and

to feel my heart and spirit soar and yet be soothed

as the road would lead us upwards

To see the birds of the air

flying above the hillside

To see, too, the creatures of the meadows.

To leave my burdens behind --

to allow myself to be renewed in body, mind and spirit.

To remember, again,

that it is from the Maker of heaven and earth that my help comes from.

And
to be in awe, again,

at the handiwork of His hands--

The hands that created this garden--

the garden of mountains,

forests

and

meadows.

-

So I listened to the longing of my heart,
the call of my soul
and this past weekend my DH and I traveled up that winding road to those mountains.

And my heart again smiled

because I remembered.

-

Blessings,

Aimee

-

Where do you go when your soul longs for a time of refreshment?

A time of renewal?

-

Photos: coast range

Daughter of My Heart

Many years ago God gave me a very special gift;
He gave me an adorable little girl full of energy!

-
She wasn’t mine by birth;
but she was definitely born from my heart's longing for a daughter

(although it took a time to realize this)
-
And now that this cute little girl has grown up,

and become a woman with children of her own--

she is still beautiful on the exterior, yes;
but where it counts the most, in her heart, she is even more lovely

and I am SO honored to be part of her life!

-

Daughter of my heart--I thank God for you;

a gift from Him,

a blessing from heaven and

the answer to my heart's longing!

-

Always know that you and your brothers are my treasures and are deeply loved!

---
Love you always and forever my daughter,
Mom

The Word on Wednesday

"Heaven and earth shall pass away: but My words shall not pass away." Like 21: 33 KJV
-
Although I struggle with some unanswered questions of faith at this trying time (I think that is pretty normal), deep within I KNOW what I know--that mom will go to heaven when she passes away and that there she will know no more pain or suffering.
Blessings,
Aimee
-
Photo: Siletz Bay with ocean in distance.

PNW Links of Interest & Info

I know it is not obvious at all---but I LOVE the PNW!
-
And it may be quite surprising to you that even as much as I have traveled, there are still places I want to see that I haven't been to before--Klamath Falls, Mima Mounds, Diamond Lake, Puget Island, Nutty Narrows and others come to mind. One lifetime will never be enough to totally explore every little nook and cranny that make up the incredible place I call home:)
-
But what are my favorite places in the NW? Certain things are definite draws for me--the combo of water and mountains always is a biggee, just about any place with a Scandinavian heritage, forests, rural and small town areas.
Yes, I have spent time in the bigger cities of the Puget Sound as well as elsewhere ( and I have a HUGE soft spot in my heart for Seattle) but it is His gardens-the gardens God created that appeal the most to me.
-
Now having said that--here are some of my fav places on the northern and central Oregon coast (I am starting with them because of a special request for info on the Oregon coast). Of course I will add a little additional info on my beloved Washington too:)
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I LOVE parks---and the PNW region has many good ones! Here are links to Washington state parks and one to Oregon state parks. Visitors might be surprised to find that you don't necessarily need a camper, trailer or tent either; many parks are now offering yurt and cabin rentals.

I LOVE wildlife refuges! Some you can just drive by but others allow you to actually walk into the area. I've been to a couple, but I have several more on my list for visits this autumn and winter in Oregon and Washington. Here is the link for the NWR site (you will find a map to click on for the state you want to visit).
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I LOVE historical--anything. Give me some Victorian houses, old forts, pioneer cemeteries, etc and I am as happy as a clam (not that any clams I've ever seen looked happy!). Needless to say I LOVE Pt Townsend and Pt Gamble (WA) and Astoria (OR)---of course I pour over travel books and have a long, long list of places with pioneer churches, historic buildings and Victorian homes. If you also share this interest and are traveling to Oregon I would go to the Astoria-Warrenton area! Oh and this area also has totally yummy Scandinavian bakery items...and a great state park (Ft Stevens), wonderful places to photograph (filming locations, Astor Column, the waterfront, etc). Here is a link to their chamber of commerce. I think of Astoria as a little Scandinavian San Francisco on the edge of lots and lots of trees. I especially love to view it from atop Coxcomb Hill and from the Young's Bay Bridge--oh and from the area near the Goonies house!
Also, there is a bridge--a long, long one--that crosses over to WA here in case you want to continue your tour of the PNW coast on Highway 101.

I better make a little disclaimer here--I am not in any way associated with any of these chambers-I am just posting their links here as that is where I usually go if I want to see photos /videos of an area I am interested in and needing info about lodging, local attractions, etc. The same goes with restaurants, etc I may talk about.
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Further south (and please understand there are some great areas in between) is Cannon Beach-home of Haystack Rock--much loved and much photographed offshore rock formation. This town reminds me -- a bit -- of Carmel, CA--at least the Carmel I remember. Lots of shops, pretty parks--haven't been here for awhile but liked it when I visited the area.

Moving south again--Tillamook! Think green pastures, dairy farming, cheese factories, blimp history, a big bay and you will have an idea of what this area looks like. Nearby is the well known Three Capes road---you will want to see it if you like rugged headlands and a good camera. North are the small communities of Garibaldi and others.
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And southward again: the Lincoln City area. Here I like Siletz Bay and Gleneden Beach the best. Lots of art galleries, kites, shops, etc. Devil's Lake is nearby with a park too and the famous D River. Not too far south from here is Boiler Bay -- a good viewpoint area off the highway. You will figure out quickly why it was named that:)

On the road again--you would pass by Depoe Bay (smallest bay) with a great seawall and lots of little shops. I will let you google for their chamber. Keep in mind that all beaches in Oregon are publicly owned and that there are many, many state parks the entire length of Highway 101--the coast highway.

Newport--picturesque bridge and waterfront, lighthouse, aquariums, beaches. shops, etc.

And our final stop for this post Florence. Let's just say sand dunes, lakes and a great state park! Believe me the coast south of here is also amazing! Bays, cranberries, more parks, rock formations, etc....my advice would be to look for photos of an area that sounds interesting and then seek more information. The coast in Oregon is usually divided into three sections if that is of any help--north, central and south.

Lodging: many types available. Bed & Breakfasts, motels, hotels, resorts, rental cabins/houses, state park lodging, etc. You can start by checking out the chamber sites. Often then I check a travel book I have or one of the trip ratings sites. Personally I have stayed in rental houses, motels, resorts and camped at the parks but I am not making any recommendations here for a variety of reasons.

Food: lots available in all different price ranges. Mo's is probably the best known one and they have several locations. I've also eaten and liked Wildflower Grill (near Lincoln City), Camp 18 (Elsie, inland from the coast a bit in the forest), Salishan (a resort in the Siletz Bay area) and Side Door Cafe (Gleneden Beach area). What is also fun is just buying some fresh or smoked fish at one of the local fish markets and grilling it at one of the many parks. Or buying the makings of a picnic and eating it along a lake or at the ocean. BTW--this is not a complete list--I have eaten at various locations up and down the coast but there are just too many to list:) You can also check out various rating sites and make your own decisions. Again, I have no association with any of these establishments.
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Attractions: well besides the forests and coast range which are close by...and the ocean with its rugged capes and sandy beaches, several scenic river byways, big and small bays, etc--there are aquariums (Keiko lived at one of the Newport ones for a bit), deep sea fishing, historical -- maritime and other museums, salt water taffy, art galleries, etc. Just check out the links above or do a search on google. Of course keep in mind that many places also have events going on--festivals, farmer markets, etc.

Hope that is helpful...at some point I will provide more links to sites on the WA coast also but if you are already interested you can search for info on Ilwaco, Cape Disappointment, Long Beach, Aberdeen, etc. Regarding time to visit the PNW coast--a personal choice really. Summer is the busiest time there--when I go then it is often during the week as I like less crowds, more availability. Early autumn is also great if you are traveling over the coast range to get to the coast--because of the fall colors and normally good weather. The PNW, as you all probably know, is known for its rain, fog in certain areas and storms but I have visited the coast in winter and found it warm at times and stormy-rainy at others or icy. Every year is different but the coast tends to be milder in temperature then inland areas--the southernmost coast can actually have more CA type weather. Again check with the local chamber of commerce sites.
-
Blessings & Peaceful Dreams,
Aimee
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Photo: Astor Column, Astoria
Note: all the links above have great photos or slide shows of the area they represent along with other helpful information for the visitor. You will also find more photos in my link to coastal areas, on wikipedia and on other websites. Soon I will be posting photos and info for Camp 18 and Wildflower Grill since we had great meals at both this most recent visit and since they offer other attractions besides food:) Night all!

To Touch a Shipwreck & More

There aren't too many places where one can reach out and touch a shipwreck or even walk inside of it (depending on the tides)--but you can find such a place at Ft Stevens, on the beach south of the jetty.

I still have memories of seeing the Peter Iredale when I was young and our family visited here. Seems like there was a lot more to the wreck then--and perhaps there was as a lot of years have passed.

In this photo you can see what remains of the ship--from bow to stern;

fortunately, there was no loss of life.

A peaceful scene--looks like we have this piece of paradise all to ourselves;

little do you know that the beach was full of happy people, including our family:)

Ft Stevens is a very popular place to visit!

Coffenbury Lake--what you can't see is the fishermen, kids in canoes and people just enjoying the beautiful view!

After we left the park we encountered three deer--a mom (not shown) and two of her babies! I was on my cell phone at the time and yelled at my friend to hold on so I could photograph them (she, knowing that I love ALL Bambi-types, was happy to oblige)...it had been a perfect day thus far and seeing this little deer family was a great ending to that day!

Hope you enjoyed our trip to the NW coast of Oregon...

-

Blessings,

Aimee

For more info on the Peter Iredale see this link to wikipedia

Next:

wildflowers, heron and good food!

logging history, bird-lover paradise and --- good food!